HERBS DESCRIPTION: CHERVIL
Anthriscus cerefolium UMBEIXIFERAE
Chervil might be called a flavour catalyst amongst other herbs. It has the unique property of adding to the flavour of any other herb in a dish while keeping its own slightly aromatic parsleylike taste, and should always be added to a bouquet garni. It has no perfume and, being delicate and small, is one herb that grows better inside than out. In appearance it is very like parsley, with light-green, soft, feathery leaves and tiny white flowers, which should be nipped off unless you require the plant to set seed for propagation. The leaves are ready for use about 6 to 8 weeks after sowing, and the more the young leaves are used the more bushy it will grow.
Growing chervil outdoors is a delicate operation: it needs dappled shade in summer and full sun (but no frost) in the colder months. The best place outside would be under the summer shade of a deciduous tree, and sheltered from winds. Then when autumn comes and the leaves of the tree fall the plants can take full advantage of the warm sun. My own chervil grows in a pot under the shelter and shade of wisteria. In the cooler months, protected from harsh winds by a fence, it gets all the sunshine it needs.
Chervil is an annual, and the life of individual plants is short; so sow seeds at regular intervals to ensure a good supply. It does not transplant very well, so it is one exception to my preference for sowing herbs in seed boxes first. Sprinkle some seeds on the surface of the soil in the pot or container in which it is to grow, and cover lightly with about 1\8 inch of potting mixture. Leave several plants to grow for seed, and several more for the table, cutting the leaves with small scissors when required. Never try to pick chervil leaves by hand, or you may pull out the whole plant. Frail and delicate are the words for this herb.
The plants grown for seed will flower and the leaves go a lovely shade of pinkish-mauve when the seeds are ripe. Harvest the seed then, and re-sow as soon as possible. Chervil seed has limited keeping qualities, and is best when sown again quickly after ripening. So, using this system, you will have a self-perpetuating chervil factory.
If you wish to grow chervil indoors, it will do very well indeed. Hunt around the nurseries and garden stores, and find a decorative trough or large container (with drainage holes, of course, and preferably a saucer underneath). Follow the usual procedure of putting a layer of coarse gravel, crocks or other drainage material over the bottom inch of the container, then fill with a rich potting mixture, not tamping it down too hard, to within one inch of the top. Then sow the seeds as I have suggested. When the plants are in full growth transfer the trough or pot to your dining-table as a centrepiece, and let your guests snip off their own fresh leaves to add to a salad or to egg dishes.
Incidentally, chervil always germinates best if sown two or three days before the full moon.
*66\181\8*
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.